


A Man to his King

by Tashilover



Series: Claw and dagger [9]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Fantasy AU, Ratings to change, dub-con situations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6270646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tashilover/pseuds/Tashilover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Still suffering from the consequences of his last adventure, Martin must learn to step up and become more than a bargaining chip. He must learn to become a king.</p><p> </p><p>Direct continuation of 'Iron Crown'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

As soon as Martin crossed over onto his father's territories, Douglas stopped following them. At first Martin didn't notice. He was busy flagging down a passing civilian, asking them where the nearest water source was. Martin's horse needed a break and he himself wanted to refill his water pouch.

He didn't notice the lack of a giant shadow flying overhead until he achingly bent down to the small brook, cupping his hands in the cool water and drinking his fill. He pulled back, dabbing water on the back of his neck and frowned, realizing the sun was in full bloom over him. He looked up, scanning the sky for Douglas.

"He left when we reached the border," Bosco said, bending down next to Martin to cup water into his hands. He took a small sip and continued, "He's already half-way back to his caves."

Martin turned towards him. "How do you know that?"

"Dragon magic has a unique feel to it," the little elf said. "I've been around them long enough to sense their magic from far away."

"That's incredible, Bosco."

Bosco blushed. His pointed ears quivered in glee.

Martin looked back up towards the skies, sighing. He already said his goodbyes and shed his tears. He was too tired to feel sad about Douglas leaving him without his notice. Martin was back inside his father's lands and needed to move forward. "Can you feel other magic?" Martin asked, wanting to change the subject.

The elf shrugged. "Some. Fairies and nymphs and elves all have the same feeling and it's very difficult to tell the difference. Dragon magic feels old. Witches and wizards have a bitter sense to them, though I've never figured out why. Um..."

He blushed again, this time his shoulders drooping as he shifted uncomfortably. "What's wrong?" Martin asked.

"I can feel another magic," Bosco said. He pointed in the direction of the castle. "Where we're going. I don't like it."

"Why not?"

"Because it feels old, like dragon magic, but it's not. Nothing feels older than dragon magic, and I don't like it."

Once done refilling his water pouch, Martin stood up. His newly-healed legs struggled to lift him. There's no pain but his knees shook as he stood and stepped away from the brook. It was going to be another hour before they arrived at the castle. Martin didn't ask for specifics on his new fiance' (at the time he got the letter, he didn't want to know), but he wondered if his future spouse was another supernatural creature. "Good lord, are you scared of it?"

"I don't know what it _is_ ," Bosco said. "I've never felt anything like it before!"

"And you're sure it's at the castle."

"In the direction of. It could come before or after."

"Hmmm... Bosco, if you're that scared, you can stay behind-"

"NO!" Bosco jumped up, placing his hands on hips defiantly. "I'm not leaving you! If we go, we go together!"

Martin laughed. "All right, then. I'm sure the magic you're feeling is nothing to be afraid of."

Bosco said nothing to that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two hours later, all Martin wanted to was take a bath and sleep for a million years. He was so emotionally and physically drained, he could barely bring himself to hug his parents when they greeted him. Bosco hanged back, tending to the horses.

"I'm glad to see you back home," his mother cooed. "And I'm also sorry to hear about your marriage. I donn't know what sort of situation you were in, but I'm glad to see you're okay."

Martin wondered if she noticed his slight limp. It got more pronounced with his exhaustion.

His father stepped forward, clapping him on the shoulder, prompting him towards the great hall. "Perfect timing," he said. "Your new fiance' is having lunch. Let's go introduce you to him."

"What? _Now_? I just got here, and I'm sweaty and covered in dust. Perhaps tonight for dinner, after I've bathed and taken a nap-"

"Your fiance' is very eager to met you," his father insisted, tugging on his arm. "He said as soon as you arrived to come meet him."

"Then surely he can wait a few hours for-"

"Martin," his father snapped. "Now."

Had this happen a year ago, Martin would've floundered under his father's gaze and gone. Martin was not a child anymore. He's now a divorced man who survived and bore the scars of a dragon assault. "No," he said, pulling his arm away. "I am not about to meet my future spouse smelling like the road. We will meet for dinner when I am more presentable and after I've settled in."

The two men stared at each other, refusing to back down.

Martin's mother was standing off to the side, face-palming. "Oh good lord, men will make drama out of nothing. Julien, step off, it's better to wait till dinner for introductions. Besides, Martin is right, he does smell. Go on, son, take your little elf friend here and settle in. We'll see you at dinner."

Martin stared at his father for a fraction longer, then turned and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Word of caution," his mother whispered before Martin could pull away. "Your fiance' is different than any creature I've encountered. Prepare yourself, my son."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It's him," Bosco said the moment they were alone. "Your new fiance'. He's the one with the odd magic."

"I've figured," Martin said. He stared around his old room, taking in the familiar and yet unwelcoming sight. His parents had not touched his room, leaving it the same since the day Martin left to go with Douglas. The patterns of the wall, the sheets of his bed, the paintings were all the same from Martin's childhood, but it didn't feel like he was home.

(No, home was the giagantic bed he shared with a dragon, waking up every morning to a snout nuzzling him between his shoulder blades-)

"Do you believe he's a threat to me?" Martin asked. He walked around the room, staring at the trinkets and items he left behind.

Bosco huffed. "I have no idea. But I don't think he's safe, either."

"My parents may agree with you. I don't know why they were acting that way. It makes me wonder what's been going on the past year since I've been gone. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Bosco, would you please draw a bath for me?"

Bosco perked up at the polite command. "Yes, right away!"

He scurried off into the direction of the baths. Martin watched him go, then flopped down upon his old bed. The blankets beneath him were cool and smelled of dust. He reached up to his chest where the dragon's gold sat and gently grasped it between finger and thumb.


	2. Chapter 2

"Your majesty, it's time to get up."

Martin groaned and turned over, burying himself deeper into the blankets. The bed felt unusually different. Douglas probably got up to relieve himself. It felt lonely; Martin got used to the presence of another body when he slept. He reached out to the other side, expecting to touch the warm spot Douglas left behind.

"Your majesty," said the little voice again, more insistant this time. "You need to freshen up before dinner."

Martin wearily opened his eyes. Bosco was standing right on his pillow, staring down at him, waiting.

Oh. Right.

"How much time do I have before dinner?" Martin groaned, sitting up. He rubbed at his eyes, wishing nothing more than to go back to sleep. Two hours was not enough.

"You have fifteen minutes," Bosco said. "I've already laid out your clothes."

So he had. He had not only chosen Martin's clothing, he'd also ironed them, shined his shoes, and chose several small pieces of jewlery to wear. One of them, Martin was amused to note, was a small circulet made out of iron. "Alright," he yawned and stretched. "I'm up. I'm up."

As hungry as he was, Martin was not looking forward to this dinner. He still felt tired, emotionally drained, and was not in the mood to act cordial towards a complete stranger, even if they were to become his spouse. He quickly washed his face and dressed. After slipping on the golden bracelets and securing the iron circulet on his head, Martin was ready to go to dinner.

"Um," Bosco started. "Your majesty, do you think it's a good idea to wear... that?"

He pointed to the dragon's gold.

"Huh?" Martin said, looking down and grasping the deformed coin. At first he didn't understand. When he opened his mouth to ask Bosco what he meant, he got it. "Oh, right. You're right. Yes... right."

It was not a good idea to wear a gift from a former spouse while he ate dinner with his new one. It would be considered a great insult, and Martin had no idea how another supernatural creature would react to the sight of a deformed, dragon soul-infused gold coin. He slipped the chain over his head, walked over to the dresser and placed it down. In the quiet light of late afternoon, the gold shined just as dully as the iron it was mixed in with. He considered the piece, and picked it up again. "Bosco," he. said, turning to the elf. "Can you do something for me?"

"Of course! Anything!"

Martin bent down and held out the coin towards him. "Can you take this to the castle's blacksmith and have him melt this down again, and then coated with more gold?"

"Yes, I can do that!" Bosco took the coin from Martin like it was precious gift, cradling it close to his chest. "Will you be alright for the evening?"

"I'm sure. Thank you, Bosco."

 

 

 

 

 

 

The smell of spiced rum, buttered vegetables and smoked ham enveloped Martin before he even entered the great hall. He thought his anxiety would spoil his appetite. His growling stomach quickly proved that wrong. He breathed in deeply, and sighed. He hoped there was fresh bread as well.

He wondered what this said about him, that he was more interested in dinner than meeting the person who will become his future spouse. ("It means you're hungry, Martin," he heard Douglas' voice in his head.)

Martin took a second longer to readjust his clothing, then entered the great hall. At the sound of his arrival, his mother and father stood up from their chairs to greet him. His fiance' stood too, turned to face him-

Martin halted in his tracks. The small polite smile he had on his face quickly melted away.

A demon.

Martin's father arranged a marriage with a _demon_.

Though there was a roaring fire to help illuminate the room, Martin could barely see him. The demon's skin was black as ink. Had he been standing any closer to the shadows of the corners, he would have vanished from sight. It took Martin even longer to realize the demon was wearing _clothes_. He wore a long, black cape of some sort that clasped around his neck, fell over his chest in a loose wave and flared open near his knees. He had no hair, and curved black horns sat where his ears should've been. The only colour on him were his bright, silver eyes that were looking directly at Martin.

Martin had only seen a demon once in his life, and that was around the very beginning of his marriage to Douglas. It happened during a hurricane, forcing Martin to spend the entire week inside the caves to avoid the harsh winds and rain. After three days of being stuck inside, Martin began to have cabin fever and would spend hours sitting by the cave's edge, watching the rain pelt the world outside. On the fifth day of watching the rain, Martin noticed someone in the far distance.

They were hidden right within the treeline, both the rain and branches obscuring their appearance. The longer Martin stared at them, wondering who the hell was out there in a storm like this, the more he felt compelled to go out and meet them halfway.

The unknown being suddenly reached up and pulled down their hood, revealing ashy-grey skin and pointed horns. For some reason this didn't bother Martin. If anything, it only made him more curious. He took a weary step forward, then another step. He stopped right at the entrance of the cave, frowning, not wishing to go out into the harsh rain.

At the hesiation, the stranger raised their hand and made a come hither motion. That alone erased Martin's fear of the raging storm and he took a single step outside. Fat droplets pelted the front of his boot.

"Martin," Douglas' voice startled him. "Stay inside."

Hearing his voice broke the spell. Martin gasped, and stepped back, surprised by his own actions. Why was he...?

"You there," Douglas addressed the figure who was still waiting within the trees. "Piss off."

The figure stared at Martin for a second longer, and then in next breath, was gone from sight. "Psh," Douglas said, turning away. "Demons. I hate those things."

Douglas never explained what happened nor did Martin ever asked. It scared him how easily he was compelled to go outside.

"Martin," his father said, coming to stand next to the demon. "Please meet Locust."

Martin blanched. _Locust_? What kind of fucking name was _Locust_? What, was _I'm Obviously Evil_ too long to pronounce? Martin made no effort to move.

"I see his majesty has met demons before," Locust said, sighing. His voice was deeper than Douglas'. "Please don't be afraid, young Prince. I am not here to bring mischief."

"I invited him, Martin," Julien said. "Now stop being rude to our guest and come sit down."


	3. Chapter 3

Martin wanted to leave. Turn around and literally leave the great hall. If he were a lesser man, if he were not a prince with responsibilities to his kingdom, he would have. Unfortunately this was not about him. Now with Douglas gone, the salt peter mines were exposed and already kingdoms were looking in their direction, wondering if they should risk war for such treasure. Martin needed to stay and see this through.

Besides, he was still really hungry.

He forced himself to calm, though the pit of anxiety sat directly at the edge of his spine. He could fake this.

As he came close, Locust pulled out a chair for him. Martin paused briefly, then took the seat. "Thank you," he said, letting Locust push him in.

"The pleasure is all mine," Locust said. He took his own seat next to Martin. "I'm glad to finally meet you, young prince. Your father described what you looked like, but he didn't mention how handsome you were."

 _Wow_. Martin mentally sent an apology to his sister, not realizing until now how annoying it was to recieve such compliments. "Uh, thanks."

"Be kind," Julien chastised lightly. He turned to Locust. "I apologize for my son's behaviour, Locust."

Locust held up his hands. "No, no, it's alright! I've heard, Martin, that your divorce from your dragon was a sudden one. Marrying another on such short notice must be very stressful."

At least Locust was trying. Still, talking of Douglas was not something Martin wanted to do. "May I ask where you are from?"

"The Balfour region."

"I... isn't that also known as the Mountain of Thorns?"

"Yes! I bet you can guess why it's called that."

"Is it because it's a literal mountain of thorns?"

He said it more sarcastically than he meant to. Locust wavered slightly under Martin's bored tone, his mouth curling into a frown. "Uh, yes, that's why. Um... I-I-I wonder if you know the story behind it. According to legend, inside the heart of the thorns sits a tower. Many thousands of years ago, a king wanted only the bravest of knights to marry his daughter. So he locked her away in the tower, enchanted the area with sharp thorns and decreed the first knight to rescue her got to marry her. Except, no one did. So the spell was never broken, the princess was never rescued and the thorns continued to grow until it formed into a mountain."

"Oh my," said the queen. She placed a hand on her chest. "What happened to the princess?"

"Since no one was able to cut through the thorns, I assumed she eventually starved to death."

An awkward silence followed.

"Or not!" Locust said quickly. "I mean, it's still just a legend. The actual truth may be far less... um, dramatic."

Good lord, Locust was worse at this than Martin. Martin stared at the wallowing demon, bewildered that there was someone more awkward than he was.

"You said ' _according to legend_ '." Martin said. Locust looked to him, his silver eyes widening slightly. "Most supernatural creatures I've come across are hundreds, thousands of years old. Are you not old enough to determine if the legend is true or not?"

"Um, I'm only thirty-five."

" _Thirty-five_?!"

"Yes. I hope that won't be problem."

"Um, no, I um... I'm just surprised that you're only fifteen years older than me."

Strangely enough, that made Martin feel better about the situation. Douglas' infinite age was such a hard concept to understand. Decades and centuries were nothing to dragons. Locust was so young, inexperienced and strange. It was kind of nice to see.

"Fifteen years?" Locust said, blinking. "Ah, no, I misspoke. What I meant was, I'm thirty-five _thousand_ years old. Compared to the average demon, I'm still fairly new.

Aaaand now that good feeling was gone. "May we eat?" Martin asked.

At least the food was good. There was honeyed ham and sweet potatoes and delicious bread rolls. Once Martin dug in, he felt his attitude change. Had he really been rude this whole time because he was hungry? Locust was eating a very modest portion of food, taking only polite bites and small sips of wine.

Before starting on his second plate, Martin decided he should make an effort. "Have you ever been married to a human before, Locust?"

Locust startled lightly at the question. "Ah... no, I haven't."

"Oh. Um, what changed this time?"

"Well, your father is a very pursuasive man." Locust lifted his cup in salute towards the king. Julien returned the gesture with a grin. "And, I'll admit, I'm quite curious."

"Of marriage?"

"You," said Locust, bringing his cup to his lips. "I've never met a dragon killer before."

There was an audible sound from Martin's parents dropping their knives and forks in shock. Martin stiffened. He didn't tell them he had killed King Luciella in self defense. He'd only told them of the divorce.

"Oh..." Locust hunched in on himself. "Was that not common knowledge?"

"You killed someone?" Martin's mother squealed.

"You killed a _dragon_?" His father spat out, slamming his fist down on the table. "Is that why you were divorced?"

"What? No! I was already divorced-"

"Was it revenge?"

"No! Look, the king tried to eat me-"

"YOU KILLED THE KING?"

"Stop overreacting! The dragons assured me I wouldn't be punished. The new king himself told me my actions were justified. What I did was in self-defense!"

"I don't see it that way."

Martin startled, turning towards Locust. For the first time since the evening started, Locust was calm, collected, not showing any signs of nervousness. His bright silver eyes looked at Martin, studying him. "A human being has never slained a dragon, not without the use of a magical object. Even then, it is immensely difficult task to do. Not only did you slay a dragon with nothing but a crown, you slayed the _king_ of the dragons. You killed her, Martin. _Viciously_. Melted her from the inside out."

"I..."

His parents were staring at him in horror. His mother was cupping her mouth, looking almost sick. She glanced down at her half-eaten plate of food and immediately pushed it away.

"She tried to eat me," Martin said lamely. He didn't like the way his parents were staring at him, like he was some kind of monster. "I was trying to protect myself."

Locust dabbed his mouth with his napkin and stood up. "There has been a roar in the supernatural realm. They will come for you, Martin. Whether they want you for their own use or for something more sinister, I don't know. Now the question is, what will you do?"

Martin narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you doing?"

"Me? I'm doing nothing." Locust stepped away from the table. He turned to Julien. "Thank you, your highness, for your son's hand in marriage, but I must refuse. Guarding your salt peter mines and your son from the hoard is too much of a burden. If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave now. Good night."

What the fuck just happened? Martin watched as Locust stepped quietly into the shadows and disappeared from view almost immediately. ~~~~


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the evening was spent arguing. Julien yelled at Martin for not bothering to tell them he had murder a king. Martin kept repeating his side that his actions were done in self-defense, and thought nobody outside the dragon world knew of the situation. Julien countered that the death of two kings would not go unnoticed, even in secret. Martin countered that this was not the way of dragon culture, and the current king absolved him of all sin.

Martin's mother spent the rest of evening getting drunk.

Finally around ten, Julien decided to put his wife to bed. Martin, still angry, took to walk around the gardens to cool off. As exhausted as he felt from the day, he knew he wasn't going to get sleep tonight.

The castle's gardens was one of the Martin's favourite places as a child. There was the hedge-rose maze, the cook's private vegetable garden, and endless amounts of space to run and hide. It was here he had his first encounters with the supernatural realm, playing with faeries and chasing gnomes. Even now as he strolled past the rose garden, he watched several small faeries drift from one rose to another, collecting their dew.

From behind he heard footsteps approach. Martin threw a glance over his shoulder to confirm it was his father, then looked back, keeping his gaze on the drifting fae. He was not in the mood for more arguing.

"Do you know why I have never married any of my children off to human kingdoms?" Julien asked quietly.

Martin sighed and turned to face him, waiting for the answer. His mouth was still twisted in bitter annoyance.

"It's because humans are dangerous," Julien said. "They're unpredictable, they're not bound by the laws they place upon themselves, laws placed upon them by God. It's not the same with the supernatural realm. They have laws and codes they cannot break, even if they wanted to. Did you know you used to have an aunt? My sister Margaret was married to a knight. Her husband swore to love and protect her. Despite those vows and promises, he was the one who ended her life. And why? Because she _nagged_ him too much."

Martin frowned. He did remember vaguely of a woman he used to call auntie.

"This is what you risk when you engage with a human," Julien continued. "But _all_ supernatural creatures are bound by their laws. Even the most dangerous ones. If you marry Locust, he will be bound by his marriage laws to protect you at all costs, even from himself."

"He already rejected me," said Martin.

"He's still in the castle. If you could persuade him-"

"Answer me this, first. Why a demon? Or, hell, why a dragon? Am I some kind of experiment to you? Throw me to as many obtuse creatures as you can and hope it pans out?"

"Was your marriage to the dragon so terrible you fear for this next one?"

Martin thought of the dragon's gold. He thought of those mornings when he woke up, feeling warm and safe. Martin's only been gone for a day and already he missed morning coffee with Douglas, their conversations, their endless word games and gentle banter. Martin suddenly realized the last time he had sex with Douglas was a few days before the king's funeral. A new ache gripped his heart, sadden by the fact he didn't share that intimacy with Douglas one last time before he left.

"No," Martin finally answered. "It was not terrible."

"Then why do you fear this one?"

"Answer my question first. Caitlyn and Simon were married off to supernatural creatures, but their spouses were at least humanoid. Why am I the extreme?"

"Because you were the most open-minded!" Julien nearly yelled. "Is that not obvious? Caitlyn hated these gardens because of the faeries. She called them insects! Simon used to pull of their wings! You were the only one who talked with them, played with them, treated them like people. My god, Martin, I am not using you as an experiment! I chose you for the dragon because I knew you would at least try! If I had sent Caitlyn or Simon, I'm sure they would've been eaten by the week's end."

Martin felt himself blush, surprised by his father's grand confidence in him. Martin always thought it was because he was the most convenient, the most expendable of his siblings. "Oh," he said, dumbly.

"As for Locust," Julien continued. "Well... he wasn't my first choice. There was the Twilight King. I had considered marrying you to him before the dragon. But as I tried to contact the king again after your divorce, he refused my letters. I merely thought it was a fluke, that he was upset of coming in as second-best. Then I tried to get in contact with Mistress Ara, of the mer-folk. Again, I was denied."

Seeing the pattern, Martin asked, "Then is what Locust said is true? I've caused some kind of ripple effect in the supernatural realm?"

"That, I have no idea. Locust was my fifth choice for you, and he seemed eager to meet you. I am surprised he rejected you so fast."

"Where is Locust now?"

"He's in his room, I believe. Why?"

Martin turned towards the castle. "I want to speak with him."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time Martin got to Locust's door, he was fuming. He was sick and tired of being pushed around, of other people making decisions for him. There were a lot of things he let slide for the sake of his royal obligations, but letting Locust speak of him in such a manner was infuriating. Martin raised a fist to the door, ready to pound on it, then stopped.

No. He was the crown prince of this kingdom, he did not need permission to enter.

Every door in the castle was enchanted to be opened at will by the current monarchy, no master key required. This was a fail-safe procedure done after Caitlyn accidentally locked herself in one of the castle's lavatory for nine hours when she was four.

Martin practically kicked open the door, letting it swing wide and hitting the wall. "Locust! I need to talk to you!"

He took two steps in, then froze.

Locust was sitting on one of the giant, plush chairs by the roaring fire. His pitch black skin set against the red fabric of the chair, illuminated by the crackling flames gave Martin the perfect unobstructed view of what he was doing: having a wank.

Locust stopped in mid-stroke, his mouth dropping open, staring at Martin in aghast horror. "Um..."

Maybe it was due to his time with the dragons and their lack for tact, perhaps it was due to his anger overtaking his embarrassment; either way, Martin shook off his surprise, kicked the door closed behind him, and walked in. "We need to talk."

Locust squealed. "Oh god!" He turned away, scrambling to pull his discarded robes off the ground to cover himself. "Why now?"

"Because of-"

"That was a rhetorical question!"

"I want answers, Locust. First of all, how did you know what happened at the dragon ceremony. That was a hidden affair."

" _Hidden_?" Locust said, tying off his robe before turning around, crossing his legs to hide his erection. "It was in a giant hive! Every dragon in the world was there! Anyone with half a brain could sense where it was! It was _private_ affair, not secret. Dragons are so confident in their own powers, they have no need to be cautious, let alone secret!"

Martin... believed that. Dragons weren't dumb, they were just... over-confident in everything they do. "So you were there?"

"Not I, specifically. I had my informant there."

"You had a spy?"

"One of the serving elves."

Martin stiffened, immediately thinking of Bosco. Bosco, who was so eager to join Martin, to help him in every way he could. His being a spy would explain his willingness to stay with Martin through thick and thin. (Was his gift of the iron crown really a gift, or was it was carefully planned to-)

Martin was getting off-track here. He'll need to question Bosco later. He looked over to Locust, who was still trying to hide his erection by not-so-subtly pushing his prick back down.

"Why are you here, Locust? What do you want?"

Locust blinked up at him, his silver eyes glittering in the light of the crackling fire. "I wanted to marry you." He said shyly.

"You rejected me!"

"Because you don't like me! The moment you saw me, you looked at me as if I were a bug! It was obvious you were forcing yourself to go through this, so I made the decision for you!"

He had a point, Martin thought guiltily. He hadn't been the best of host all evening. "I'm sorry," he said. "I left my spouse only a few hours ago. Rushing head on into a new marriage may be too soon."

They lulled into uncomfortable silence. It looked like Locust's erection finally calmed. He stood up straighter and uncrossed his legs.

"A demon tried to kidnap me once," Martin confessed. Locust blinked curiously at him. "If it wasn't for my dragon, he might've succeeded."

A bitter tone creeped into Locust's voice. "That wasn't me. I am not to blame for that demon's actions."

"I know. But do you understand my hesitation?"

"Not really. Humans killed my parents."

Oh jeeze.

This conversation was getting worse by the second. "I'm sorry for barging in," said Martin. There was no saving this, it was best to leave now before he fucked things even further. "Thank your for your consideration of marriage, I-"

"I still want to marry you."

Martin paused.

"But, I wasn't lying before," said Locust. "I am hesitant. Your reputation preceeds you. If you can kill a dragon, you can kill anything."

"...then why do you want to marry me?"

"Because you're bloody amazing!"

He stepped forward, his arms out as if ready to hug Martin and twirl him around the room. Martin flinched back. Locust restrained himself, but he was still grinning shyly. "I wish I could've been there to see it," he said excitedly. "Taking on a dragon with nothing more than a crown and sheer determination! My god, it's the stuff of legends! They'll be talking about you for centuries!"

Oh god, really? "So you want to marry me because... you're a fan?"

Locust made a face at his tone. "I could think of worse reasons for marriage."

Martin bit his lip, considering this.

Marriage was not about love. It was about alliances and wealth and doing what was best for the kingdom and its people. Martin had been lucky when he married Douglas. If Locust was right about the supernatural world coming for him, Martin needed to make alliances now before it got worse.

Martin stepped forward. Locust's silver eyes grew wide as Martin leaned in close and very gently, kissed him.

"I apologize for my brash behaviour," Martin said against his mouth. "Will you-"

"Yes!" Locust cried out, wrapping his arms around Martin's neck, kissing him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Twilight King is a reference to the lovely comic, "Courtney and the Twilight Kingdom". It's loads of fun and I highly reccommend it. =D


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Martin got back to his rooms, he was exhausted beyond belief. He flopped down upon his bed, still fully clothed in his royal dressings, his boots still on, his crown hanging off his ear. Within a single day, he left Douglas behind, came home, had two different arguments with his parents, met his future fiance', broke up with him, came to several realizations, and then reconnected with his fiance'.

No fuckin' wonder he was exhausted.

After Locust agreed to marry him, Martin then went to his parents and told them the news. After a round of congratulations and shared drinks, everyone agreed the contracts can be dealt with in the morning. Martin was grateful for this. If he had to endure contract agreements as well, he might've ended the marriage right there just to avoid the paperwork.

He was already dozing off when he felt something tugging at his foot. Grumbling, he looked down and saw Bosco gently undoing the laces on his boot and slipping it off. "Bosco...?"

"Go back go sleep, your highness," the little elf said. He started undoing the other boot. "I'll be done in a moment."

Remembering what Locust had said about the serving elves, Martin forced himself to waken. Things were going to go quickly tomorrow and it was best Martin did this now before it got buried under everything else. Martin groaned and sat up. Bosco stumbled back in surprise, Martin's boot in hand.

"My new fiance' told me something," Martin began. "He knew what happened at the dragon funeral."

Bosco clutched the boot his chest.

"He said the serving elves were spies. Many of them were paid by other kingdoms to report back in. Are you one of these spies, Bosco?"

Bosco's giant pointed ears drooped down. He nodded.

"Damn it," Martin sighed. He rubbed a tired hand over his face. "Who did you sell the information to?"

"The Twilight King."

"The-" Julien said the Twilight King was his first choice for Martin to marry. "Because of you, I lost a powerful ally."

Bosco clutched the boot tighter.

"Is this why you follow me? Are you still gathering information for him?"

"No!" Bosco gasped. "I followed you because you're the first creature to ever treat me like a person! You don't ignore me, you don't boss me around, you say please and thank-you, and... and you remember my name! I was in the Twilight King's service for twelve years and he's never called me by name! I don't think he even knows it."

"I can't..." Martin was going to drop dead at any moment now. He was too tired, too sleepy to handle this any longer. "Bosco, you're dismissed. I require your services no longer."

"NO!" Bosco tossed the boot aside and ran to Martin's feet. "Please, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to lie to you, I didn't want to-"

"Did you give me the iron crown specifically to kill the dragon king?"

"No!"

"What proof can you give me? Do you have evidence I can trust you?"

Tears welled up in Bosco's eyes. His bottom lip trembled. "I have nothing to show," he said. "Please... tell me what I can do to show you I can be trusted."

Had Martin been less sleepy, he might've reconsidered his next words. The conversation he had with his father earlier flashed in his mind, giving him an idea he didn't fully comprehend.

"Pledge your alliegence to me," Martin said. Bosco blinked tearily up at him as he continued, "Give me an oath that you serve me, and only me."

_All supernatural creatures are bound by their laws. They have no choice._

Bosco wiped at his face. He sniffled. "I... I pledge myself to you."

This wasn't what Martin wanted. He didn't want to force some poor pitiful creature to vow his life over to him. He didn't-

"Okay," Martin said. His exhaustion finally overwhelmed him and he fell back upon his bed, his eyes closing shut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quill pen broke. It wasn't Martin's fault, the quill was already worn from wear and tear, but he still cursed at himself for pressing down too hard. The elves were not going to replenish their supplies until the end of the week. Martin tossed aside the broken quill and started hunting around the desk, looking for another tool to write with.

He ended up grabbing a piece of wood, sharpened it, and used that. It took a lot longer to write, but it was still better than nothing.

Once he was done writing his letter to his parents, Martin turned towards Douglas. The dragon had been watching Martin this entire time, saying nothing. The only indication of his attitude was the way his tail swished back and forth behind him. Martin came to learn this was how dragons showed amusement. "What's so funny?" Martin asked.

"Nothing," Douglas said. "Just admiring you."

"Admiring me?"

"You humans are so creative. You couldn't find a new quill pen, so you made one."

"How is that creative? All I did was sharpen a stick. Before quills were a standard use, this was how all humans did it."

"I know. And that's interesting."

Martin raised an eyebrow. "Are you bored?"

"A little. There's nothing to do."

"Hmmm..."

Martin turned back to his letters. From behind he heard Douglas move, then a moment later felt his snout pressing against his side softly. "Martin..." He cooed. "Let's have sex."

Martin pushed him away. "I got a few more letter to write. One to Caitlyn, to Simon-"

"You just broke your last pen. The letters can wait."

"I have my creatively-made sharpened stick. I can keep going."

"Hmmph." The snout moved away. "Sometimes you humans are too inventive."

"You know, you do bring up an interesting topic. What will the human race be like in a hundred years? In two hundred years? I guess you'll be around long enough to see that."

"You'll change. Humans always do. I remember when you all used bronze instead of iron. You used to be more afraid of the dark."

"I suppose having a weapon to fight back helps."

"Weapons have nothing to do with it. It's knowledge. Things aren't so scary when you know exactly what they are."

"That's true. I know I was terrified of you."

"Were you?"

"How could I not be? I was getting married to a dragon, something I've only seen in books and on tapestries. I didn't know what to expect."

"And now?"

Douglas puffed up his wings, lengthen out his neck and displayed himself for Martin to look at.

Martin grinned. "You eat too much, sleep too much, and whines when it rains."

"Hey!"

"But you know what?" Martin tossed down his makeshift pen. "I can't concentrate on the letters. Let's have sex."

Douglas immediately perked up. "Really?"

"Re-"

Before he could finish, Douglas snatched him up from his chair and carried him swiftly towards the bed.

 

 

 

 

Martin woke up a few seconds later. It was still early, still dark, the dying embers from his fireplace glowing just enough for him to peer into the darkness. He noted Bosco had loosened his clothes, taken off his shoes and tucked him in. He didn't know why he woken up- he didn't need to use the toilet and he was warm and comfortable. Goddamn it, he really wanted to see the end of that dream.

With a soft groan Martin turned over in his bed, burying himself deeper into his blankets. Something clinked underneath.

He touched his chest and felt a familiar shape hanging around his neck. He wrapped his hand around it.

"My dragon's gold," he muttered. Bosco must've finished melting it back together to its original shape. Martin sighed, and went back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Gross, non-con stuff with semen.

The contracts took hours to do. Back and forth they went, asking questions and renegotiating terms. By the time sun set, Martin and Locust were officially married.

Locust stared at his wedding ring happily, affectionally twirling the gold around on his finger. "The demon world doesn't hold wedding ceremonies the same way as humans do, but I think I would've enjoyed it, if we had one."

Julien looked up from his pile of papers. "Do you want one? It might take some time to send out letters, place an order for the food-"

"Oh no! No, if that means I have to wait, then I'll pass. Besides..." Locust shyly glanced over to Martin.

Well shit- that's right. Martin was going have to sleep with this obsessive fan, wasn't he? He should be grateful, he just married a powerful ally and the kingdom's safety was secured, but he was not looking forward to consummating this relationship.

It didn't hit Martin till right then that this was now his life. Douglas was no longer his husband, and besides formal communication, Martin would have no further interaction with him. There was no going home. Tonight- or in the next hour, judging from how eager Locust was- Martin was going have to have sex with a demon.

Martin put down his celebratory cup of wine. He raised a hand to his chest. He could feel the beginnings of a panic attack. Oh lord, not now, not here. He just got married.

He jumped as Locust suddenly whispered in his ear, "Love, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Martin lied. Deep breaths, calm down, you're fine. "I'm tired, is all. It's been a long day."

There was nothing in Martin's voice indicating he was ready for sex, yet Locust pulled him close, his arms looping around Martin's body. He breathed softly. "Oh, do you wish to retire to our chambers?"

"Um..."

In his peripheral Martin saw his parents turn away politely. Embarrassment was creeping up Martin's spine for every second he spent in Locust's arms.

"Actually," Martin stepped away. "I need some air. We've been inside all day."

"I'll come with you."

There was no good way to tell him no. "Alright."

By the time they got outside, the castle's watchman had just finished lighting the candles around the garden. He was an older man with a slight hunchback. As intimidating as he looked with his uneven balding head and overhanging brow, he was very gentle person. He gave Martin a brief nod of acknowledgement, then shuffled back inside to light the rest of the dark hallways. With the watchman gone, the garden fairies came out of their hiding places and went back to their inspection of the flowers. Martin never learned why fairies inspected flowers. They didn't pollinate them, they didn't drink the dew collected on the petals.

He jumped as Locust curled his arms around Martin's torso. Martin could be standing next to a manure pile and Locust would still want to hold him. "It's very pretty here."

Locust's body was warm against his. Didn't expect that from a demon. "Are there fairies at the Mountain of Thorns?"

"No. During the spring flowers do bloom, but fairies have impaled themselves on the thorns by accident. They've learned to keep away."

Lovely.

"Don't worry," Locust cooed. He bent his head, brushing his lips against the side of Martin's neck. "As my husband, the thorns will not touch you. You will not be harmed."

There was no avoiding this. Locust clearly wanted this. He dipped Martin's head back, giving him more access to his neck. He kissed along Martin's throat, smacking loudly.

It wasn't bad, Martin thought. It was different. When Douglas nibbled his neck it always tickled. Martin was more sensitive below his neck and Douglas knew that. He knew exactly where Martin liked to be touched, which areas would make him arch his back...

Locust steered Martin back in an awkward shuffling dance. They got to one of the stone benches by the rose bushes and fell right on top of it. Martin was seated between Locust's open thighs. Through his clothing and Locust's thick cloak, he could feel Locust's erection digging into his back.

Locust continued to kiss Martin's neck, running his hands over Martin's chest and thighs. "You smell incredible," he breathed in between kisses. "Like apples and cinnamon. God, I could _eat_ you."

Despite his earlier reservation, the touching was having an effect on Martin. It was different from Douglas, who used teeth and tongue to tease him. Locust's hands ignited pleasure he wasn't familiar with. His fingers pinched Martin's nipples though his clothing, rolling them between his finger and thumb. His nails gently scrapped the inside of his thighs, teasing him slowly.

All around them the small fairies stopped what they were doing. Martin's laboured breathing caught their attention, and they slowly hovered closer to see.

Finally Locust cupped Martin's cock. Martin gasped and bucked into Locust's touch, the need to come suddenly very strong.

Locust cooed, opening the front of Martin's trousers and taking out his leaking cock. "Look at you. Look what my touch has done to you. Are you enjoying this, my love? Do you enjoy my touch?"

He thumbed the slit and Martin groaned.

The fairies, more curious now, came closer and closer. Martin didn't know if their society was like the dragons', if sex was just an end to a means and nobody had sex for pleasure. Either way, Martin was embarrassed the way they were all looking at him, staring at his cock like they expected it to start talking.

He waved at them, trying to shoo them away. It only made them come closer.

It was getting hard to concentrate. In another minute Martin was going to come.

"Are the fairies bothering you, my love?" Locust asked.

"It's... ah, a little embarrassing."

One of the closest fairies, a pretty glowing pink female, was hovering just above their heads, still staring down at Martin's cock with a curious look on her face.

Locust suddenly reached out with his free hand and snatched the fairy out of the air. He brought her down, and gripping her in his fist, positioned her right in front of Martin's cock.

"No!" Martin cried out, realizing what was going to happen. "Locust, no-!"

With a choked cry Martin came, his seed spilling out of him, splattering all over the poor fairy. She gave off a wail, throwing up her hands. White, thick semen coated her like syrup, her wings and hair sagging heavily. She coughed and gagged, and clawed at her own face to scrape away the offensive fluid.

Locust dropped her like a stone, letting her fall wetly onto the stone path.

" _What the hell is wrong with you_?" Martin screamed. He shoved Locust's hands away, quickly rearranged his trousers to cover himself, and then bent down to cup the fairy up into his hands. "This is horrible! It's disgusting, why would you-?"

He ran to the nearest water fountain. The fairy was still coughing, desperately wiping at her face. Martin gently brought her near the spray of water. Once she sensed the water, she washed herself desperately.

"I was only trying to help," Locust said unhappily from behind. "You were clearly uncomfortable by their attention so I did something about it."

"This was not helping!"

"But it worked. Look! The other fae have left!"

He was right. The moment the fairy was splattered with Martin's seed, they scattered.

"She's fine," Locust insisted. "Let's go inside and finish our consummation."

Martin pulled back from the fountain. The fairy was wet and miserable, but she was clean. She sniffled, wiped her nose with her arm, and then started bawling like a child.

"Oh geeze," Martin moaned. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Martin," Locust said from behind.

"Will you _piss off_? I am not having sex with you tonight, not after this stunt you pulled!"

"You don't have to be so mean!"

Martin ignored his retreating footsteps. He continued holding the fairy in his cupped hands, still muttering apologies, letting herself cry as much as she wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

Martin eventually took the fairy up to his room, swaddled her in a warm cotton towel, and placed her on top of his desk. He then brought her a generous piece of chocolate cake and a cup of rose-flavoured tea. Martin watched with some amusement as the fairy would reach out from the confines of the towel, snatch a handful of cake and shove it in her mouth. If she didn't look so annoyed Martin might've laughed at the sight until his belly hurt.

There was a knock at the door. "Martin, it's me."

Locust. Martin threw a cautionary look over to the fairy, wondering if she heard him. The fairy was busy trying to lift the tea cup to drink out of it. Instead of delicately taking a sip, she accidentally dumped the entire cup over herself, drenching her for the third time that evening. The majority of the liquid was caught by the towel, and the excess spilt over Martin's desk. The fairy dropped the cup in surprise, blinked, and started wailing again.

Martin pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I'm coming."

The crying didn't last long. Between her hicupping wails, the fairy continued to shove cake into her mouth, this time using both hands instead of one.

Locust was staring at the ground when Martin opened the door. He looked up guiltily, which was quite a feat for someone with silver glowing eyes and pointed horns. "Martin, I want to apologize. Your father explained to me-"

Martin groaned. "Oh _god_ , you told my _father_ what happened in the gardens?"

"I needed someone to explain to me what I did wrong and you weren't talking to me!"

Oh. Well, Martin couldn't fault him for that. "Alright. What did he say?"

"He said... that I shouldn't have held the fairy in front of you. That it was considered... distasteful. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to," Martin said. He stepped aside, opening the door more. "You should be apologizing to her- oh for fuck's sake!"

Locust looked into the room and frowned. "Is she masturbating on top of that cake?"

"Move, let's talk out in the hallway, I can't deal with that right now..."

He closed the door behind him. "Locust, after everything that's happened today, I'm not angry with you anymore. Clearly... clearly there's cultural differences that we need to talk about. I keep forgetting the supernatural world is a bit more lax when it comes to sex."

"I can honestly say I never masturbated on top of cake."

"Just stop. Ugh, when I think I have a handle on this, it blows up in my face."

"You've killed dragons, protected lesser fae, and yet sex overwhelms you. That's incredible."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"A little bit. Is this going to be an issue, Martin? We still haven't consummated the relationship. For us creatures of the night-"

"I know, I know. Contracts are created through blood and... and-and stuff. Just not tonight? I'm still a little upset from earlier this evening and... I have a masturbating fairy in my room. It's not exactly putting me in the mood."

Locust sighed. "I can wait," he said, clearly not happy. "Tomorrow we head off to the Mountains of Thorns. We can consummate there."

"Yes. Yes, alright."

Locust grasped Martin's hands and gently kissed them. It was a such a sweet gesture, Martin couldn't help but blush a little. "Thank you for being patient with me."

"I've waited over thirty thousand years to meet you. I can wait a little longer."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin held up the dragon's gold, angling to catch the light of the crackling fire. "Bosco, do other creatures give their souls away like dragons do?"

Bosco dumped the now soiled leftover cake slice into a bag. He gave the snoozing fairy a disgusted look and jumped off the desk to the floor. "No. We don't have souls."

"Really? Do you have something else...?"

"Elves and faeries were not created by a god. We came into existence from nature, and when we die, we go back into nature. We would become stone or grass or air."

"...what about demons?"

Bosco took a moment to toss the bag out the window. Once he closed the shutter, he turned and said, "I don't know what demons are. They're too old to tell, and they don't share their stories like dragons."

"Do you think I made the wrong decision marrying Locust?"

"Do you feel you have?"

"I don't know. Something about this whole arrangement feels wrong. I was rushed into my marriage with Douglas, but it didn't feel like this. Like..."

"Do you feel like you're cheating on your dragon?"

"Yes." Martin said without hesitation. He blinked, surprised at his own words. "Oh god, is that it? It's because I miss Douglas?"

"It has only been two days since you left him."

Martin groaned and leaned back. He rubbed his forehead. "Didn't think I'd be the one so lovesick. Then again, I am holding a portion of his soul. Can't imagine how he's taking this."

He paused.

"Bosco... do you think it's considered cheating if I... wrote a letter to Douglas?"

"Yes," said Bosco. "Wait, did you consummate the marriage yet?"

"No."

"Oh. Then yes."

Martin made a face. "Why did you even bother asking- oh, nevermind."

"BUT," Bosco said, holding up a finger. "A political letter between two nations... not at all."

"A political letter."

"Not a love letter. As long as you keep it professional, it should be fine."

"...Bosco, could you please get me a quill and paper?"

Bosco bowed. "Of course, your majesty."


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Martin and Locust set out for the mountains of Thorns. Martin said his goodbyes to his parents, promising to write to them as soon as he was setteled. As their trunks were packed, (Martin's was never fully unpacked, which made things easier) Locust commented on Bosco's absence.

"He's off, running a few errands for me. He knows to follow." Martin told Locust.

"Will he be able to catch up to us before we enter the mountains? I am not sure he can pass my thorns."

Martin and Bosco discussed that possibility. Bosco explained elves were naturally immune to certains magicks, which was why they were employed by so many supernatural creatures, but it was never guarantee which magick they were immune to. There was still a chance if Bosco came near the thorns, he would be skewered before he could even blink.

Locust and Martin traveled in a black carriage, pulled by the four biggest horses Martin has ever seen in his life. These were beautiful creatures. Though they were black as night, their skin shone brightly in the sunlight. Martin felt the urge to ride them. When he said this to Locust, Locust laughed.

"They're labour animals," Locust said. "They're too big for riding."

"I've ridden a dragon before. I think I can handle your horses."

"But what about your leg?"

The reminder of his still-healing leg ruined Martin's good mood. He imagined himself trying to swing his good leg over the backs of the horses, and cringed, feeling the phantom pains already. "I still want to try. Maybe in another month when I've healed better."

"Anything for you, my love," Locust said, kissing the back of Martin's hand.

Martin was in that damn carriage for the next thirteen hours. How spoiled he felt, riding on Douglas' back these past few years, getting to faraway kingdoms in a matter of one or two hours. Martin got so antsy in the carriage, he took frequent breaks, demanding to stretch his legs almost every hour. Locust tried to be accomodating as much as he could, but by the fourth break, he threw his hands up in the air and said, "Enough, Martin! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to delay us!"

"I'm sorry, I am not used to riding in carriages anymore."

"Alright, I get it, your last husband was a dragon. Would you _stop_ bringing him up?"

"I'm... I wasn't trying to-"

"It's fine, Martin," Locust sighed. He stared out the window bitterly. "I guess I should've expected it..."

"No, no. It's perfectly reasonable. I..."

What could he do to make this better? Martin chewed the inside of his cheek, then shuffled closer, getting into Locust's space. Locust's silver eyebrows raised in response.

Martin dipped his hand in between Locust's legs, gently squeezing his thigh. "I'm bored," Martin said. "Let's try something to _relieve_ that boredom."

Ugh, that sounded less stupid in his head.

Stupid or not, Locust reacted. Martin only got a brief look at Locust's wolfish grin, and suddenly he was on his back on the velvet seat of the carriage with Locust climbing on top of him.

Martin swallowed down a yelp of pain as Locust bore his entire weight upon Martin's hips. Locust hooked one of Martin's legs with his elbow and forced it up, higher than its been since the injury. Martin gritted his teeth.

"Yes..." Locust said, oblivious to Martin's discomfort. "I've been wanting this for so long. Yes..."

He bent down and kissed Martin, slipping his tongue inside as his hand snaked underneath Martin's shirt.

Martin tried to focus on the kissing, tried to find pleasure in the way Locust dug his crotch into his, but the pain was too much to ignore. His hip bones groaned under the weight, begging for relief, as his leg muscles threatened to spasm. He had to endure this. He put this off long enough.

"Martin..." Locust moaned, kissing him deeply. Tears leaked at the edges of Martin's eyes. "Martin..."

The wheels of the carriage suddenly hit a small bump in the road, jerking them violently.

Pain exploded in Martin's hips, and he cried out.

Locust immediately pulled away. "Martin? Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm..."

"Shit, I forgot about your leg. Spirits, Martin, why didn't you tell me?"

"I... look, just ignore me, and let's have sex-"

"I am not hurting you! I am not your dragon, I am not going to ignore your pain-"

"Douglas never ignored my pain-"

"I am not a beast! I am not going to force you to do this when you're obviously still recovering! God! I can keep my hands to myself!"

Locust shoved himself off further to the side, crossing his arms defiantly, keeping them close like a pouting child.

Martin achingly sat up. "I just want this over and done with," he said. "I can handle a little pain. Let's... let's pull over and-"

"Over and done with?" Locusts repeated. "Martin, I want to fully consummate our relationship as well, but this? I won't have this."

Now Martin was getting angry. Earlier Locust was complaining about Martin's need to stop and rest every few minutes. Yesterday he was grumbling about having to put off the consummation. Now that Martin was ready and willing, suddenly he was painting Martin as the irrational one here?

Without conscious thought, Martin pulled on the dragon's gold hanging around his neck. He tugged on it, running his fingers around it, trying to calm himself.

The gold caught Locust's attention. He narrowed his eyes. "What is that?"

Shit.

"It's nothing," Martin said, tucking the gold back into his shirt. "It's-"

They struck another bump in the road. Martin clutched at his thigh, hissing.

Locust banged angrily on the front part of the carriage. "Stop hitting every damn hole!"

To Martin he said, "We'll discuss that gold piece once we get to the Mountains of Thorns."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was suppose to be longer, but editing anything over a 1000 words becomes very hard for me. Hope ya'll enjoy, shit goes down next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Minor character death, violence against women

Martin woke to Locust gently shaking him. "Martin, Martin, wake up. We're here!"

It was not a restful sleep. Martin mostly dozed, the constant jerking of the carriage knocking him out of his rest every few minutes. A small headache was forming above his left brow, he was thirsty, hungry and sore all at once. "NNNggnnn... what?"

"Look," Locust pointed out the carriage window. "Welcome, my love, to the mountains of Thorns."

Martin rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked.

It was like something out of a horror novel. This whole time Martin thought the mountain was covered in thorns; no, it was literally made out of thorns. Thick fat vines as big as the horses themselves were tangled together, twisting and turning with no discernable pattern or purpose. Each thorn sticking out was more like a knife, thin and sharp, and some were as tall as a full grown man. Everything in the surrounding area was dead. There was no grass, no trees- not even the sky was blue here. The whole mountain was casted in a permanent stormy weather with grey clouds and lightening crackling off in the distance.

As the carriage got close, the thorns parted, letting them in deeper. Here, Martin could see corpses of animals who had the unfortunate luck of wandering in, and they lay dead, rotting skewered against the thorns.

Martin was aghast. "Who the hell thought they could rescue anyone out of this?"

"Hmmm?" Locust said. "Oh, you're referring to the princess? Yes, I suppose the king wanted to give the knights a challenge. Something to show their worthiness. Not even dragon fire will pierce the thorns. It's the perfect defense."

Martin immediately thought of Douglas trying his hardest to burn down these thorns and failing miserably at it. Once for a lark, Douglas breathed fire upon a boulder and after a few minutes, it melted into a sodding mess. If dragon fire couldn't burn these thorns, then nothing could. "I... find it hard to believe there's a castle in the middle of all of this."

"Once you know how to manipulate the magic," Locust said. "It's easy to navigate. As a demon, we are naturally tuned into seeing the loopholes of magic and the best way to manipulate them."

"Like the serving elves. Like Bosco."

That was the wrong thing to say. Obviously Locust was building himself up, giving pride to his species, and Martin just compared him to a species that liked to serve. Locust twitched, paused for a second, and then said, "Not exactly... but yes. I suppose... the elves too know how to... navigate."

He tried to sound pleasant, except his sharpened teeth were bared and every word he spoke was bit out like it was painful.

It felt like it took forever to get to the castle grounds. The vines got so thick in some areas, it blocked out the sky and the world around them turned grey and sharp. Casually Martin stuck his hand out the window to feel the temperature.

He hissed and wrenched his hand back in. Without touching a thorn directly, his palm had been cut. It was a small, thin wound, and it bled slowly like a paper cut.

"Careful," said Locust unhelpfully. "The thorns will gravitate towards you if you get too close. Ah! we're here, finally! We're home!

Martin pressed a handkerchief on his cut. He looked out the window. The castle certainly looked like it was built a thousand years ago. The vines were wrapped around the towers and ran over the barricades like creeping plants. Entire sections of the outer wall were missing completely and the moat was filled with more thorns. Martin scrutinized the castle further, realizing some portions of the buildings were built upside down.

Martin tried to keep an open mind. Douglas' caves weren't excatly welcoming at first, and after a few weeks, Martin thought of them as home. This cursed castle his home now. He needed to find the silver lining or be miserable. He could do this.

Once the carriage stopped, Locust helped Martin climbed out. There was no one to greet them, not a single citizen or servant. Locust made no mention of this oddity and escorted Martin into the castle.

Inside was _much_ nicer. The floors were covered in deep red velvet carpeting, there were priceless paintings on the walls, and every piece of furniture was made out of the finest pieces of cut wood and decorated in gold and silver. A little indulgent, Martin admitted, but he's been in plenty of castles that looked just like this.

Except there was a giant twenty foot hole in the middle of the floor.

"Beware of this hole," Locust said. He walked around it, pointing to it like Martin could not see it. "It is endless."

Martin crept closer and carefully peered into it. He could not see the bottom. "Is it really?"

"Truthfully? No idea. But watch."

Locust grabbed a heavy candlestick off of a table, and with the flames still burning on the wicks, he tossed the whole thing down the hole. Martin watched the flickering candle disappear into the darkness. He never heard it hit the ground. "That's disturbing."

Locust shrugged. "I tried covering it, but it acts like a whirlpool, sucking everything in. I can't feel magic coming from it, so it's possibly an undercurrent coming from the bottom. Keep your distance, my love. I don't want you falling in by accident."

They left the hole behind, going into the great hall. There, for the first time since Martin entered these lands, he saw two people waiting for them.

He gasped. "Ku Fei? Hans!"

The two seemed just as surprised to see him. " _Martin_?"

Martin laughed, so relieved to see familiar faces. He jogged up to them, ignoring the slight twinge in his hip. "Ah, it's wonderful to see you two! Why are you here?"

His enthusiasm was not met with equal energy. Ku Fei stepped away, disgust all over her face. "This just confirms it, Hans."

"What?" Martin said. His smiled melted off his face. "What's going on?"

She held up her left hand. There was a ring on it.

Hans held up his left hand as well, showing off the ring.

"What?" Martin stepped away, turning to Locust. "What is this? I didn't sign for a polygamy marriage!"

Locust was smiling.

It was a disturbing smile, none of its supposed affection reaching his eyes. His silver teeth were fully bared, and for ten very long quiet seconds, he held it, not moving, not blinking.

He suddenly giggled. "Sorry, sorry. Whoo! I am so glad this is over with. Now that everything is out in the open, we can move on."

Martin moved closer to the others. "What's going on?"

"He married all three of us," said Hans. "Ku Fei and I thought it was mere coincidence, up until you showed up. Now we know he chose us specifically."

"What is this, Locust?" Ku Fei demanded. "This is clear violation of our marriage contracts! This will not be tolerated!"

"Look, this doesn't have to a problem," Locust continued, ignoring their concerns. "You'll have your own rooms, you'll be fed and clothed. It's perfect."

"How dare you!" Ku Fei said, stepping forward. "I am leaving! You will not-"

Locust struck out, backhanding her across the face. There was an audible CRACK, and Ku Fei fell to the floor, whimpering.

"You don't tell me what to do," said Locust calmly.

The sudden shift in tone was jarring. This whole time Locust had been nothing but a strange, obtuse creature who acted more like a nervous teenager than a demon. Had Martin not been mourning his marriage with Douglas, he might've opened up to Locust, find his bubbly personality endearing. Locust had not changed his form and yet it was like he physically morphed in front of Martin. No longer stood the awkward creature who was his husband.

Here stood a demon.

Martin and Hans helped Ku Fei off the floor. The left side of her face was red and bleeding from several small cuts. "Ku Fei, are you okay?"

Ku Fei only whimpered as tears ran down her face.

"What the hell is this?" Martin said, standing in front. "You can't do this. You're bound by your marriage laws!"

Locust huffed. "Those laws only apply to _validated_ marriages."

"What-?"

Realization slowly dawned on Martin. He had at least half a dozen chances to consummate the marriage but he turned down Locust at every pass. When Martin tried to initiate sex in the carriage, suddenly there were bumps in the road in what was, so far, a smooth journey.

"You..." Martin breathed. "You never planned for us to consummate, were you?"

"Honestly?" Locust said. "I wouldn't have minded fucking you, Martin. You have a pretty dick."

Humiliation crashed down upon Martin. "Then this is a farce! Kidnapping! Once word gets out you'll-"

Faster than the eye could blink, Locust buried his fist into Martin's gut. Martin gave out a breathless gasp, hugged his midsection and fell to his knees. He couldn't breathe.

Locust stepped away. "My god, don't you ever stop talking?"

Martin could only wheeze in response.

"Why are you doing this?" Hans yelled. "For ransom?"

Locust rolled his eyes. "No! Ugh, I was hoping this would come out later. I wanted to rest, eat something, take a bath, then explain myself to you. But now it's out in the open... look, I want your dragon's gold."

Ku Fei's hand went up and grasped her gold earring. She shook her head.

"Dragon's gold?" Hans repeated. "You want access to their treasure hold? We're not married to them anymore, we wouldn't-"

Martin gasped out, "It's... it's gold pieces, melted over and over by dragon fire. It... it contains a portion of a dragon's soul... given only to those... to those..."

Martin trailed off, still too winded to finish. He could not uncurl from his fetal position. His stomach felt like it ruptured.

Hans sneered. "So you kidnapped us to get this... magical gold? I don't even have one!"

Locust blinked in surprise. "Really? Oh, that's a shame. I wasted my time with you. Oh well..."

He snapped out, grabbing Hans by the throat. With one hand, he hauled Hans up high into the air like he weighed nothing.

Ku Fei screamed.

"I'm so glad, out of the three of you," said Locust, carrying Hans out of the room and into the next. "You're the one I don't need. Your mustache is stupid."

Hans struggled and choked, his legs kicking uselessly as he held onto Locust's arm, desperate to hold himself up.

"Stop..." Martin gasped. He tried to get back up. His damn legs refused to listen to him. "Stop... what are you doing?"

Into the other room Locust carried Hans. Into the room with the bottomless hole.

"Do something!" Martin hissed to Ku Fei.

The princess hesitated, her fear keeping her from making a move. She took a step forward, then stopped, her shaking and tears getting the better of her. "I-I-I-I-"

In the other room, Locust held Hans over the hole. The draft Locust talked about earlier came up from the darkness, fluttering Hans' clothes and hair. It was as if the hole was welcoming him, waiting in anticipation for him to drop. Locust continued to hold him, letting the moment drag on, clearly enjoying Hans' choked pleas for mercy.

Martin had no idea how strong the demon was until that moment; his ability to hold a full grown man with one arm, fully extended. Even if Ku Fei had overcome her fear and go to them, Locust would have fell her easily.

"Any last words?" Locust asked sweetly.

Hans, purple in the face, could only gasp.

"Okay then."

He let go.

Hans did not scream. He had no breath to. There was a brief moment of relief on his face, finally free from Locust's grasp. Then he was gone, down the hole he went, disappearing forever.

"Well now," said Locust, turning around to face Ku Fei and Martin. "Who wants dinner?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: non-con situation

Martin dipped the edge of the clothe into the alcohol and turned back to Ku Fei. With one steady hand on her chin, he murmured, "Hold still."

He pressed the clothe against the jagged cuts on her cheek. Ku Fei hissed at the first sting, her hands closing into fists in her lap. She kept herself still, even as tears ran silently down her face.

Martin gently cleaned her wounds, wiping away the blood and dirt. Despite the cuts and bruises, she was still beautiful. "You'll be fine," Martin said to her. "It's nothing serious."

"Why does it matter?" She asked. "We're dead either way."

"Our dragons will save us."

"Our dragons have no authority to!" Ku Fei spat out. "Not unless they want to declare war on the entire demon land! And what about Hans? He can't be saved. He's dead. Gone forever."

She sobbed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I could've helped him, Martin. You yelled at me to get to him and all I did was stand there like an fool."

"It wouldn't have mattered. Did you see how strong Locust was? He could've snapped you in half if he wanted."

"I don't understand," Ku Fei sniffled. "What does he want with our dragon's gold?"

They were interrupted when the door to their room opened. Locust came in with two steaming plates of food in his hands. He was humming happily. "Hello, my beautiful spouses!"

Martin turned away from him to finish up Ku Fei's cleaning. "We're not your spouses."

"Oh, I know, but calling you 'prisoners' seems so informal. Look, I brought you dinner. Come, sit down and eat."

"We're not hungry," said Martin and Ku Fei at the same time.

"Don't be stubborn."

"Fuck off," said Martin.

Martin tensed, waiting for the blow he was sure to come. Instead, Locust came around to place the plates of food down on the table. He turned to face Martin, his arms crossed his chest.

"You're both hungry," Locust said, huffing. "I've no interest in starving you both. The food is good, I promise."

"It's not the food I'm worried about, it's the company."

"You wound me, Martin. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but there's no need we can't be civil to each other."

"I'm done talking to you."

"Please, Martin-"

Locust reached out and gently caressed his hand over Martin's.

Martin jerked away, his lip curling in disgust. "Don't touch me!"

"Why not? You were so willing to sleep with me earlier regardless of your pain."

Red bloomed on Martin's cheeks. "I wanted to sleep with my husband, not a liar!"

"Oh fine! If that's what you want."

With a sudden sweep of his arm, Locust pushed everything off the table onto to the floor. Food and medicine alike crashed to the floor with a loud shattering pitch. Martin took several steps backwards, avoiding the glass when Locust grabbed him by the front of his tunic.

Locust twisted, dragging Martin across and slamming him down upon the table. With a violent shove, Locust pushed Martin up further, up until Martin's hips were pressed firm against the wood.

Martin gasped. The force of him slamming down upon the table stunned him. He blinked wildly, trying to catch his bearings when suddenly Locust crawled on top of him.

"C'mon," Locust cooed, grinding his hips down upon Martin. "Let's consummate."

Like the wood, Martin's bones groaned and creaked under the weight. Pain shot through his hips and thighs, making him grit his teeth. He pushed against Locust's shoulders. "Get off!"

"Why? Isn't this what you want, Martin? Once we consummate, I'll be bound to protect you."

"I said, get OFF!"

Martin raised a fist and clumsily whacked it across Locust's chin, knocking him off to the side. Martin groaned and slid off the table. His knees refused to take his weight and he collapsed right on top of the food mess. Next to him, Locust got up and stepped back, holding his chin.

"Hhmph," he muttered. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. I did mean it Martin, you could've had that protection. But I'm no rapist. If you don't want it, I'm not going to take it."

He turned to Ku Fei. "What about you, princess? Want to fuck?"

Ku Fei gave out a cry of disgust, curling her body away from his gaze.

"That's fine. If you two are hungry later on, you can go down to the kitchen for food. The run of the castle is yours."

Martin couldn't get up from the floor. His hands were flat on the cold stone ground, pushing himself up, but his legs were not listening to him. The pain was still there, thrumming hotly inside of his bones. Martin was getting scared how his body was betraying him like this. How could he be of use to anyone if he couldn't even get off the fucking ground?

"What's wrong with you?" Locust asked, coming around. "Surely you're not hiding an erection. Wait, are you?"

"Shut up," Martin bit out.

Locust gasped. "Hold on, is this because of your injury with the king of the dragons?"

Martin ignored him. He managed to get both feet under him, his knees feeling like overcooked pasta. He grasped the end of the table for leverage and with his legs knocking into each other, pushed himself up.

"That's amazing," Locust said in complete and utter awe. "Dragon slayer..."

Now with stable feet under him, Martin stepped back, uncomfortable by Locust's admiration towards him.

"Shame we can't fuck," Locust said, sighing in regret. "I would've made a _fantastic_ husband. Oh well. If you two need new clothes or more food, simply ask for it. The magic in this castle responds to requests and does it best to accomodate them."

"I want to the front door to be open and let out," Martin said immediately.

"Ha! Good one. Only I allow access through the thorns. Remember, even if you manage to get out of the castle, the thorns will impale you within seconds. I don't encourage test runs."


End file.
